On 19th April 2012, PEN had been in existence for 90 years and working towards its primary objectives for 90 years.  In spite of the difficulties in our field, PEN Català is looking firmly towards the future in order to continue our work promoting cultural diplomacy around the globe and to continue being a point of reference for writers, with clearly defined objectives and programmes involving all of the creative collective.  For this reason, PEN Català still seeks a new challenge for the future, extending its work and working closely with editors, journalists and scriptwriters, in order to start adapting itself to the new challenges the world of writing is facing.

PEN Català’s 90th anniversary arrives with an institutional recognition that encourages the organisation to continue to work for its objectives. Even though PEN Català has received the Saint George’s Cross from the Generalitat of Catalonia (Catalan Government), its sustained and essential work in both the Catalan-speaking territories and on the international scene, has only recently been recognised.

In 2010, PEN Català was awarded the International Trajectory Prize for the organisation and for its international projection of Catalonia. In addition to this prize, awarded by the Generalitat of Catalonia, a year later – and coinciding with the 27th anniversary of the institution – the organisation was also awarded the International UNESCO Prize in order to recognise PEN Català’s work  in promoting freedom of speech and the promotion of the Catalan language and its culture.